By David Finger

The June 2018 WBO rankings were released by the WBO this week and in what has to be considered the biggest development in the rankings, eight division world champion and former WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (59-7-2, 38 KOs) was dropped from the welterweight rankings due to the fact that he is now scheduled to fight for the WBA welterweight title. The departure of Pacquiao from the WBO rankings marks only the second time since February of 2009 that Manny Pacquiao has not appeared in the WBO rankings as either a champion or a contender (Pacquiao was briefly dropped from the WBO rankings in June of 2015 after he lost his WBO welterweight title to Floyd Mayweather, but he reemerged as the #2 ranked contender the following month).

Pacquiao has not won a fight since his fight with Jessie Vargas in November of 2016 and in his last fight dropped a disputed decision to Australian Jeff Horn on July 17, 2017. However, as recently as May of this year the WBO kept Pacquiao in the world rankings at #2 in the welterweight division, a development that seemed to set up Pacquiao for a potential clash with Terrence Crawford. Crawford stopped Horn in nine rounds back on June 9th, and many wondered if Pacquiao would simply move into the #1 ranking previously held by Crawford. However, as per WBO rules, fighters are automatically dropped from the rankings when they are scheduled to fight for a world title with one of the other sanctioning bodies. As Pacquiao’s scheduled fight on July 15th against Lucas Matthysse in Malaysia is for the WBA belt this ultimately cost Pacquiao his world ranking in the WBO. Replacing the legendary Pacman is Canadian prospect Custio Clayton (15-0, 10 KOs) of Montreal, who now sees himself in the enviable position of being the top ranked contender in the welterweight division. With his jump up the rankings from #7 to #1 there now is a very real possibility of Custio emerging as Crawford’s first title defense before the end of the year. Pacquiao could nonetheless emerge as Crawford’s next opponent in a unification fight if he is victorious against the hard punching Argentine.

Although Pacquiao’s drop out of the rankings was the biggest news in the welterweight division, there were several other familiar faces who made some major moves at 147-pounds. Former champ Jeff Horn dropped to #9 after his loss to Crawford while Jessie Vargas and Adrian Broner both entered the WBO rankings at #3 and #4 respectively. Undefeated Uzbek prospect Kudratillo Abdukakhorov (15-0, 9 KOs) entered the WBO rankings at #11 while Massachusetts based prospect Rashidi “Speedy” Ellis (19-0, 13 KOs) also moved into the world rankings at #14.

In other developments in the WBO world rankings Armenian Noel Gevor (23-1, 10 KOs) dropped out of the junior heavyweight rankings due to inactivity. His last fight was in September of 2017. Gevor, who had been ranked #8 in the May rankings was replaced by Yunier Dorticos (22-1, 21 KOs) who moved into the world rankings at #15. Dorticos lost his last fight by way of TKO in the 12th round in a fight for the IBF and WBA world titles against Murat Gassiev.

At light heavyweight former WBA light heavyweight champ Badou Jack entered the WBO rankings at #10, replacing Gasan Gasanov (15-6-1, 12 KOs) who dropped out of the rankings after a decision loss to Adam Deines on June 9th. Gasabov had been ranked #11 in May. At 168-pounds Australian Rohan Murdock (22-1, 16 KOs) moved up from #9 to #7 in the world rankings. Murdock, who had fought back in February, had won his last twenty fights including a win over Apti Ustarkhanov for the WBO Oriental title back in December of last year. Roamer Alexis Angulo, who just lost a decision to Gilberto Ramirez on June 30th, moved up from #10 to #8. However, his rating was set before his fight with Ramirez and it is unknown if his gritty performance against the champ will result in him moving up in the rankings, although the fact that he lost a decision to Ramirez could also result in a drop out of the upcoming July rankings. #3 ranked Rocky Fielding (26-1, 14 KOs) dropped out of the world rankings due to being scheduled to fight for the WBA world title on July 14th.

At 140-pounds former lightweight champion Terry Flanagan (33-1, 13 KOs) dropped from #1 to #6 after his split decision loss to Maurice Hooker (24-0-3, 16 KOs) in a fight for the vacant title. Hooker was the #2 ranked contender in May. Mexican contender Alex Saucedo moves up from #3 to #1.

In the lightweight division Ghana’s George Ashie (28-4-1, 20 KOs) moved up from #15 to #14 while Brazil’s William Silva (25-1, 14 KOs) moved into the world rankings at #15. Nihito Arakawa (31-6-2, 18 KOs) was able to dodge a bullet after a disappointing twelve round draw with Rimar Metuda (12-3) on May 20th in a fight for the WBO Asia Pacific title. Arakawa only dropped from #2 to #3. However Mexican brawler Carlos Diaz Ramirez was not as lucky after his loss to Jose Zepeda on June 16, 2018 in a fight for the WBA Inter-continental title. Diaz Ramirez was dropped from the WBO rankings entirely.

At junior featherweight the biggest surprise was the continued exclusion of Jessie Magdaleno (25-1, 18 KOs) from the world rankings. Although there has been some discussions that Magdaleno was thinking of moving up in weight, a recent back and forth on Instagram with the man who dethroned him, undefeated Isaac Dogboe, seemed to indicate he wanted one more bite at the apple at 122-pounds. However for the second month in a row Magdaleno is nowhere to be found in the world rankings.

At bantamweight the meteoric rise of Jason Moloney (17-0, 14 KOs) continues as he moves from #3 to #2 and positions himself for a possible title fight before the end of the year. Holding steady at #1 is Juan Carlos Payano (20-1, 9 KOs) of the Dominican Republic while Ghana’s Duke Micah (22-0, 18 KOs) moves up from #4 to #3.

In the flyweight division Filipino contender Froilan Saludar (28-2-1, 19 KOs) moved up from #5 to #4 and is now slated to take on champion Sho Kimura on July 27th in Japan.

In boxing’s smallest division Pilipino puncher Vic Saludar (17-3, 10 KOs), brother of Froilan, held steady at #3 and is currently scheduled to fight WBO mini-flyweight champion Ryuya Yamanaka (16-2, 5 KOs) on July 13th. Thai contender Panya Pradabsri (21-1, 11 KOs) continues his long, hard road back into the top ten as he moved from #14 to #12 after going 2-0 in the month of May. Pradabrsri was the #1 contender late last year before he took an ill-advised fight in China with 35-year old veteran Chaozhong Xiong (26-7-1, 14 KOs) in a fight for the WBA International belt. Pradabrisi lost the fight and his #1 ranking in the process, but has won three fights since the disaster in Datong, China.